The Ten Commandments

5 Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances I am proclaiming as you hear them today. Learn and follow them carefully. ² The Lord our God made a covenant^(A) with us at Horeb. ³ He did not make this covenant with our ancestors,^(B) but with all of us who are alive here today. ⁴ The Lord spoke to you face to face from the fire on the mountain. ⁵ At that time I was standing between the Lord and you to report the word^[a] of the Lord to you, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain. And he said:

The People’s Response

²² “The Lord spoke these commands in a loud voice to your entire assembly from the fire, cloud, and total darkness on the mountain; he added nothing more. He wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me. ²³ All of you approached me with your tribal leaders and elders when you heard the voice from the darkness and while the mountain was blazing with fire. ²⁴ You said, ‘Look, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that God speaks with a person, yet he still lives. ²⁵ But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer. ²⁶ For who out of all humanity has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the fire, as we have, and lived? ²⁷ Go near and listen to everything the Lord our God says. Then you can tell us everything the Lord our God tells you; we will listen and obey.’^(M)

²⁸ “The Lord heard your^[b] words when you spoke to me. He said to me, ‘I have heard the words that these people have spoken to you. Everything they have said is right. ²⁹ If only they had such a heart to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that they and their children would prosper forever. ³⁰ Go and tell them: Return to your tents. ³¹ But you stand here with me, and I will tell you every command—the statutes and ordinances—you are to teach them, so that they may follow them in the land I am giving them to possess.’

³² “Be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or the left. ³³ Follow the whole instruction the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live, prosper, and have a long life in the land you will possess.

The Greatest Command

6 “This is the command—the statutes and ordinances—the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you, so that you may follow them in the land you are about to enter and possess.^{(N) 2} Do this so that you may fear^(O) the Lord your God^(P) all the days of your life^(Q) by keeping all his statutes and commands I am giving you, your son, and your grandson, and so that you may have a long life.^{(R) 3} Listen, Israel, and be careful to follow them, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly, because the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you a land flowing with milk and honey.^(S)

⁴ “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^{[c](T) 5} Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.^{(U) 6} These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.^{(V) 7} Repeat them to your children.^(W) Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol^[d] on your forehead.^{[e](X) 9} Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.

Remembering God through Obedience

¹⁰ “When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would give you—a land with large and beautiful cities that you did not build, ¹¹ houses full of every good thing that you did not fill them with, cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant^(Y)—and when you eat and are satisfied,^{(Z) 12} be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.^{(AA) 13} Fear the Lord your God, worship him, and take your oaths in his name.^{(AB) 14} Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you, ¹⁵ for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God.^(AC) Otherwise, the Lord your God will become angry with you and obliterate you from the face of the earth. ¹⁶ Do not test^(AD) the Lord your God as you tested him at Massah.^{(AE) 17} Carefully observe the commands of the Lord your God, the decrees and statutes he has commanded you. ¹⁸ Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that you may prosper and so that you may enter and possess the good land^(AF) the Lord your God swore to give your ancestors,^{(AG) 19} by driving out all your enemies before you, as the Lord has said.^(AH)

²⁰ “When your son asks you in the future, ‘What is the meaning^(AI) of the decrees, statutes, and ordinances that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ ²¹ tell him, ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand.^{(AJ) 22} Before our eyes the Lord inflicted great and devastating signs and wonders on Egypt,^(AK) on Pharaoh, and on all his household, ²³ but he brought us from there in order to lead us in and give us the land that he swore to our ancestors. ²⁴ The Lord commanded us to follow all these statutes and to fear the Lord our God for our prosperity always and for our preservation, as it is today. ²⁵ Righteousness will be ours if we are careful to follow every one of these commands before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.’

Destruction of the Temple Predicted

13 As^(A) he was going out of the temple,^(B) one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher,^(C) look! What massive stones! What impressive buildings!” ^(D)

² Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings?^(E) Not one stone will be left upon another—all will be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

³ While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives^(F) across from the temple,^(G) Peter,^(H) James,^(I) John,^(J) and Andrew^(K) asked him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?”

⁵ Jesus told them, “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁶ Many will come in my name,^(L) saying, ‘I am he,’^(M) and they will deceive^(N) many. ⁷ When you hear of wars and rumors of wars,^(O) don’t be alarmed;^(P) these things must take place,^(Q) but it is not yet the end. ⁸ For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.^(R) There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines.^[a] These are the beginning^(S) of birth pains.^(T)

Persecutions Predicted

⁹ “But you, be on your guard! They will hand you over to local courts,^[b](U) and you will be flogged^(V) in the synagogues.^(W) You will stand before governors and kings^(X) because of me,^(Y) as a witness^(Z) to them.^{(AA) 10} And it is necessary that the gospel^(AB) be preached to all nations. ¹¹ So when they arrest you and hand you over, don’t worry beforehand what you will say, but say whatever is given to you at that time, for it isn’t you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

¹² “Brother will betray^(AC) brother to death,^(AD) and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. ¹³ You will be hated by everyone because of my name,^(AE) but the one who endures to the end will be saved.^(AF)

The Great Tribulation

¹⁴ “When you see the abomination of desolation^[c](AG) standing where it should not be” (let the reader understand), “then those in Judea^(AH) must flee to the mountains. ¹⁵ A man on the housetop must not come down or go in to get anything out of his house,^{(AI) 16} and a man in the field must not go back to get his coat.^{(AJ) 17} Woe ^(AK) to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days!

¹⁸ “Pray^(AL) it^[d] won’t happen in winter. ¹⁹ For those will be days of tribulation,^(AM) the kind that hasn’t been from the beginning^(AN) of creation^(AO) until now and never will be again. ²⁰ If the Lord^(AP) had not cut those days short,^(AQ) no one would be saved. But he cut those days short for the sake of the elect,^(AR) whom he chose.^(AS)

²¹ “Then if anyone tells you, ‘See, here is the Messiah!^(AT) See, there!’ do not believe it. ²² For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders^(AU) to lead astray, if possible, the elect. ²³ And you must watch! I have told you everything in advance.